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Macin Smith went missing at age 17 in September 2015. He left his St. George home the morning of Sept. 1, 2015, and left behind his wallet, cash, cell phone, passport and backpack. Keri Hensley/USA TODAY NETWORK

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Macin Smith: an unsolved missing person case

Editor's note: The numerated times to which specific events are assigned in this report may be either exact or approximate depending on the validity of Macin's family members' personal recollection of the events and numerous officials' reports.

On Sept. 1, 2015, a 17-year-old boy left his house to catch the morning bus ride to school, but he was never seen or heard from again.

Courtesy of Smith family

The missing persons case surrounding Macin Smith has led his family members, detectives, and more than 40,600 members of an online group devoted to his return home with no concrete answers.

Macin, now 19 years old, is intrinsically shy, and he experienced some bullying in middle school related to a mild speech impediment. While he tried to manage some symptoms of depression in his teen years, Macin's mother, Tracey Bratt-Smith, has described it as "suffering in silence."

Macin is not confrontational. His family had no reason to suspect he was going to leave one morning and never come back.

He had a close relationship with his mother, and despite his family moving around a lot when he was younger, Macin had a positive upbringing alongside six brothers and sisters. But his family says some of those dynamics had shifted in recent years, sometimes causing a bit of contention between Macin and his parents (not an unusual strain among many parent/teenager relationships.)

From what his family and investigators can determine, Macin fled with only the clothes on his back. Tracey and Macin's father, Darren Smith, confiscated his laptop and cell phone the night before in an effort to prevent him from staying up too late.

According to St. George Police Department detectives, very little was gleaned from his texts, emails, internet history and all the other information on his devices.

Macin's mother, Tracey Bratt-Smith, pictured with Macin Smith in a family photo from several years ...more

Macin's mother, Tracey Bratt-Smith, pictured with Macin Smith in a family photo from several years ago.

Courtesy of Smith family

Friends, teachers, classmates, church acquaintances, neighbors, and anyone who may have some clue as to where Macin is have been contacted and interviewed. Homeless shelters, psychic mediums and every single lead has been followed and ruled out.

However, Tracey found a note in Macin's wallet days after his disappearance that indicates he could have intended to harm himself. His family had moved to Southern Utah from Canada just months beforehand, and Macin seemed to be doing well in a new city.

A lot of the unknowns leave people speculating: Where could or where would Macin have possibly gone that early fall morning?

Macin left behind at home his wallet, cash, cell phone, passport and backpack. If you think you've ...more

Macin left behind at home his wallet, cash, cell phone, passport and backpack. If you think you've seen him, call 911 immediately, and reference #M-692-802-589.

Courtesy of Smith family

December 2013 (in Canada)

10 p.m. - Macin attempts to run away while the Smiths are living in Canada. Darren had taken his video gaming system away after Macin didn't follow through with specific responsibilities. His parents hear him leave with a sleeping bag, some food, and resumes (because he wanted to demonstrate that he can make it on his own.)

Around midnight - By his own choice, Macin returns home.

Aug. 31, 2015 (in St. George)

8:30 p.m. - Tracey comes home from work and notices Macin is in his room with the lights off. She asks him if everything is OK — it was unusual for him to be in bed that early in the night — and Macin tells her he's not feeling well.

Sometime after that encounter, Tracey unplugs the home's internet router so Macin wouldn't be tempted to play games online or watch anime movies late into the school night.

Sept. 1, 2015

1:30 a.m. - Darren wakes up in the night and notices a light coming from under Macin's door. Darren enters Macin's room and confiscates his laptop and cell phone because it was after their agreed curfew.

7 a.m. - Darren woke Macin up for school and went back to bed.

7:30 a.m. - Tracey and Darren can hear Macin rustling around in the kitchen while, they assume, he's getting ready to leave for school.

7:40 a.m. - Tracey and Darren hear the garage door close, which indicated he was leaving to catch the bus.

3:15 p.m. - The school bus returns to the neighborhood, but Macin isn't on it.

3:30 p.m. - Darren begins looking for Macin, but knows he doesn't have a direct way to contact him since he confiscated his laptop and cell phone the night before.

4 p.m. - At work, Tracey receives a text from Darren saying Macin did not come home. Tracey says, at this point, she assumes Macin was avoiding conflict from having his devices taken away.

Sometime after receiving that text, Tracey is notified via email by Desert Hills High School that Macin did not go to school that day.

Around dinnertime, Tracey comes home and starts texting people from Macin's phone, asking where he might be. She notices his door is locked, which is unusual, but his parents mostly aren't alarmed at this point.

10 p.m. - It's Macin's curfew. He's still nowhere to be found. Tracey and Darren conclude he's not coming home, so they contact SGPD and file an official report.

Macin Smith went missing from his St. George home at age 17 in September 2015.

Macin Smith went missing from his St. George home at age 17 in September 2015.

Courtesy of Smith family

Sept. 2, 2015

During school hours, Tracey goes to Desert Hills High School to pay for Macin's graduation cap and gown. She searches for him, but he isn't in school. Back at home, Tracey finds Macin's wallet in his nightstand. He left his cash, ID cards, and nothing else in his room seems to be missing.

All day, Tracey and Darren are reaching out to friends, neighbors and community members, organizing grassroots search parties that will occur in the following days.

Sept. 3, 2015

Throughout the day, at least five individuals report seeing Macin standing on the side of the road just off of Interstate 15 near Exit 4. The teen is holding a "Las Vegas" sign. This lead is later ruled out.

Sept. 7, 2015

Tracey discovers a handwritten note in Macin's wallet, only part of which she would later make public. The note describes Macin's inner turmoil and conflicts, and two words stand out to her: "I'm done."

A neighbor calls to report having seen Macin walking along the street on Sept. 1, headed away from his home. She's adamant she saw him.

RRSAR searches for Macin for the first time in 2016, again in Warner Valley. Additional 2016 searches: May 1, June 29, Oct. 29, Nov. 5-6.

July 2016 - present day

Multiple sightings are reported in Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas areas. SGPD Sgt. Choli Ence told The Spectrum & Daily News a lot of the tips contradict each other, and there's rarely any information she's able to follow up on. However, she said she'd rather have people report any information they have, even if they think it's unsubstantial.

April 1, 2017

RRSAR searches the Warner Valley area for the first time in 2017. Additional 2017 searches up to this point: April 7, May 3.

April 2, 2017

The Investigation Discovery channel debuts Macin's story on national TV during an episode of "Disappeared."

June 1, 2017

Unidentified human remains are found just 45 miles south of St. George in the Arizona Strip area. The Mohave County Sheriff's Office medical examiner is still working to identify the few bones that were uncovered. There are no concrete reasons to draw the conclusion the bones belong to Macin, but some Macin's Army members become concerned.

Anyone who has information leading to Macin's return home is instructed to contact SGPD at 435-627-4300. There is a $10,000 reward for any information regarding his whereabouts. Macin's National Center for Missing and Endangered Children case number is #1254151. Connect with Macin's Army on Facebook at facebook.com/macinsarmy.